NBA 2022/23, on Tuesday, 24.01.2023
Tonight, the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics play each other – and just like a month ago, I’m once again putting my money on the “Magic Floridians” in this NBA match-up, who in my eyes own the future.
My Magic Celtics prediction at hand addresses several aspects at once, all of which explain why the home side could win not their first, not their second, but their third game of the season against the husky C’s.
This match is interesting for two reasons! For one, I see a more than real chance of the underdog winning this game, and for another, it’s almost guaranteed to get heated!
Because no NBA fan has forgotten Al Horford’s elbowing of Moritz Wagner just before Christmas, which cost the superstar a $25,000 fine and his team the game.
Because the Magic won in the end with 95:92 and caused a downright money shower on the betting markets. All those who had bet on Orlando before the game were paid five times their stake by the sports betting providers.
But if you take a closer look at this last showdown, it becomes apparent that the Magic not only won the last duel, but even both parts of the doubleheader as guests in Boston.
In short: In less than 48 hours, the strong Celtics have lost two of their only 12 games so far this season against the Magic – even though they have already played 47 regular-season games and are leading the Eastern Conference.
Orlando, on the other hand, is – as usual – only deep in the second half of the table and will probably have nothing to do with the playoffs again. But just because of that, the home side should by no means be written off from the outset in this pairing.
Another reason that makes me confident Orlando will win their third straight game of the season against Boston is due in no small part to the status of Jayson Tatum, who recently went above and beyond his pain threshold against the Warriors.
That’s because the C’s superstar saw plenty of minutes on the court in Thursday’s overtime win over the defending champions, so he was given time off for this weekend’s matchup against the Raptors.
The fact that Boston has already narrowly won 106-104 without him against a franchise as weak as Toronto gives me even more encouragement heading into tonight. Especially since the Magic will once again rely on their wonder weapon against the C’s.
The Floridians’ “”wonder weapon” is none other than their number 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero. The 20-year-old was a game-changer in the last meeting with the C’s with his 31 points.
With his nimble and speedy forwards, he was able to create a lot of action under the Boston basket – and the rest of the NBA has already made the acquaintance of one of the best talents in basketball.
With an average of 20.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, Banchero is the most productive player of the home side. With the home crowd behind us and the Magic Celtics odds in mind, I have full faith in Orlando tonight!
Another plus for the home side is undoubtedly their win the day before yesterday over the New Orleans Pelicans, who are known to be one of the better NBA teams of the.
That relatively easy 123-110 win already earned interesting odds of around 1.88 on the markets, but the Magic Celtics odds are even “more interesting” in that regard.
With the help of the Bwin app, it can be seen relatively quickly that the betting bazaars of the world are offering odds of around 3.40 for a win for the home side.
A win for the Celtics, on the other hand, is offered at favourite odds of just 1.35, which I would deliberately leave aside in view of the much better betting opportunities on this Monday.
Conclusion: Both teams are in different spheres. But the Magic will benefit from the fact that the C’s don’t see them as an equal opponent and already peaked a few days ago.
For Boston beat the Warriors in overtime last Thursday and probably celebrated this triumph until the early hours of the morning. A success over the Floridians would have a completely different significance in comparison.
Add to that the fact that Orlando already won the joint doubleheader in December and that Jayson Tatum could continue to rest on the opposite side, and even C’s fans should at least have a defeat of their favourites on their radar.
My Magic Celtics tip: Orlando wins!
